Empathy, initiative, and a desire to create lasting impact are the qualities that define Sarah Lai, an 11th-grade student at Bishop Fenwick High School, and one of the newest volunteer Zoom Teachers with SmartKids Ghana.
For Sarah, the decision to join SmartKids Ghana wasn’t just about adding another volunteer experience to her résumé. It was about purpose. “I would love to be a Zoom teacher because I’m tired of the same volunteer opportunities,” she shared. “This is something unique and special and I feel like I’m actually doing something that will make a difference.”
Sarah first became familiar with Zoom during the pandemic, when classes moved online and technology became the main bridge between teachers and students. Though that experience challenged many students, it also gave Sarah a valuable understanding of how virtual learning can connect people across distances. Now, she’s using that same platform to inspire and teach children thousands of miles away in Ghana.
What makes Sarah stand out is her deep sense of gratitude and perspective. She recognizes how fortunate she is to have access to education, safety, and opportunity privileges not every child enjoys. That awareness fuels her passion to give back. “I realize that I am so fortunate for being able to get up in the morning and not have to worry about anything,” she says. “While not every kid is able to have that ability, I would love to be able to do whatever I can to help.”
Through her work with SmartKids Ghana, Sarah joins a movement of young leaders who are using education as a tool for empowerment. Her commitment reflects the spirit of global citizenship where compassion knows no borders and learning becomes a shared bridge between communities.
Sarah represents the kind of thoughtful leadership that SmartKids Ghana values most. Her willingness to step outside her comfort zone, embrace a new kind of volunteering, and dedicate her time to helping others is proof that even one person’s decision to care can transform many lives.
Sarah Lai’s journey is just beginning but her heart for service and belief in education’s power to change the world already make her an inspiration to us all.
